Contest Two: “Una Mujer” runs from May 2, 2013 to June 1, 2013, and winners will be announced July 1, 2013 to coincide with the launch of Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volume II.

Awards:

Grand Prize

We will award one Grand Prize for poetry, and one for prose. Each of the two Grand Prize winners will receive:

  • US$500.00
  • Publication in Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volume III
  • Lifetime Premium Membership at Scribophile, the online writing group for serious writers
  • Six-Month Scribe’s Forge Ultimate Writer’s Passport
  • Complimentary print & digital copies of Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volumes I through IV
  • Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland (2013 Kindle or Nook edition)

Second Place

We will award one Second Place prize for poetry, and one for prose. Each of the two Second Place winners will receive:

  • US$100.00
  • Lifetime Premium Membership at Scribophile
  • Complimentary digital copies of Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volumes I through IV
  • Complimentary print copy of Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volume I
  • Print subscription to American Poetry Review
  • Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland (2013 Kindle or Nook edition)

Third Place

We will award one Third Place prize for poetry, and one for prose. Each of the two Third Place winners will receive:

  • One-year Premium Membership at Scribophile
  • Complimentary digital copy of Spark: A Creative Anthology Volumes I through IV
  • Digital Subscription to American Poetry Review
  • Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland (2013 Kindle or Nook edition)

Fees

A fee of US$10 must accompany each entry.

Guidelines

Your writing prompt for this contest is the artwork Impresión del perfil de una mujer by Rodney Artiles, which will be featured on the cover of Spark: A Creative Anthology Volume III. Entries are not required to adhere to this prompt, but you are encouraged to let it inspire your creativity. There are no age or genre restrictions for this contest, and content guidelines are similar to our standard submission guidelines, including what we are not accepting.

Contest Two awards prizes for poetry and prose according to our contest judging criteria.

Prose includes both fiction and creative nonfiction, but we have not divided the category further because we believe that well-written creative nonfiction should tell a story so well that the result is indistinguishable from fiction. Prose must be less than 12,000 words.

Poetry includes all styles, meters, and rhyme schemes, or may be free-form. Poetry must be less than 150 lines.

DEADLINE: JUNE 1st, 2103

Rules & Restrictions

  • Publication Rights remain with the author or poet. Grand Prize winners are not obligated to publish their winning entry in Spark, but if our publication offer is accepted, the cash portion of the prize serves to purchase First Publication rights as outlined on our Rights & Rates page. All other entrants retain full rights to submit and publish their entries as they wish.
  • Prose limits: We are looking for excellent writing and storytelling, not length. A compelling and well-written “flash fiction” piece has equal chance against a novelette. Prose must be less than 12,000 words.
  • Poetry limits: We are looking for evocative imagery that paints a small story in a poem. A haiku or tanka has equal chance against a sonnet or epic. Poetry must be less than 150 lines.
  • Only previously unpublished works will be considered.
  • You may enter a previously-written piece if you feel that it satisfies the prompt for this contest.
  • There are no age limits for this contest other than legal restrictions imposed by your local jurisdiction. In the event that a younger winner is ineligible for any non-cash prize because of age, an equivalent cash prize will be substituted.
  • Spark: A Creative Anthology contest judges and their immediate families are not eligible.
  • Because entries are blindly judged, authors and poets who have previously had work accepted for any volume of Spark: A Creative Anthology may enter this contest. In the event that a Grand Prize winner is an author or poet whose work has been accepted for Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volume III, we may choose to postpone or decline publication of either the previously-accepted work or the winning contest entry.
  • You may enter multiple pieces in this contest, and you may enter both poetry and prose, but each entrant can win at most one prize, no matter how many entries are made.
  • Contest entry fees are non-refundable.
  • All proceeds after prizes are awarded will be applied toward publication costs of Spark: A Creative Anthology at the sole discretion of Empire & Great Jones Creative Arts Foundation, a registered non-profit corporation.
  • Because this contest is judged blindly—that is, the author’s name is withheld from the judges—please omit personal information from the manuscript. Your name and contact information will be attached to the entry form.
  • Judges will be unable to provide feedback on specific pieces.

Visit the website for details on how to enter:

http://sparkanthology.org/contests/two/